Purim Hebron

Among the special Purims celebrated by some Jewish communities on certain days of the year to commemorate a particular miracle, there is also a Purim which the Sephardic Jews of Hebron used to celebrate on the fourteenth day of Tevet. The historical details of this happening are hidden in the mists of the remote past. Our story is based on that event.

Many, many years ago, the old city of Hebron was inhabited by a community of Sephardic Jews who had been driven out of Spain and other Christian lands where Jews were cruelly oppressed.

One day two venerable Jews arrived in Hebron from Jerusalem, for the purpose of collecting money for pidyon shvuyim (obtaining the release of Jews from slave-traders).

The two emissaries met with the heads of the community and explained their important mission: to collect not less than five thousand piasters from the Hebron community for their lifesaving endeavor.

The heads of the community knew that, with a vigorous effort, they could manage to raise the required sum, but they claimed that “charity begins at home,” and they had to meet the needs of their own poor people first. So they “bargained” with the emissaries, who insisted, however, that nothing less than the five thousand piasters would be acceptable. And if the Hebron community refused, or were unable to raise the required sum, the Almighty would show them where the necessary help would be available, and the Hebron Jews would lose the great merit of pidyon shvuyim, saving Jewish souls.

The arguments and entreaties of the emissaries proved in vain, and they left empty­handed.

Now a new pasha came into power as ruler over Hebron, and he was a Jew-hater. He lost no time in introducing new edicts against the Jewish community, draining them of their hard-earned money. At first he began in a moderate manner, but very soon tired of this slow process, and looked for some way in which he could make a clean sweep and cash in all that the Jews possessed.

The pasha was an educated man, who mastered several languages in addition to Arabic, which was his native tongue. He read in history books accounts of how Christian rulers treated the Jews in their lands, and learned that, in some cases, they threw rabbis and Jewish leaders into prison until such time as their Jewish communities would ransom them for huge sums of money. Some Christian rulers, he found, even went to the extent of driving the Jews out of their country, robbing them of all their possessions.

This latter possibility appealed greatly to this Jew-hating pasha. He quickly issued a call to the rabbis and leaders of the Hebron Jewish community, and told them that he had put a tax on them, in the sum of fifty thousand piasters, which must be paid within the month. Failing which the Jewish leaders would have to pay with their lives, and the rest of the Jews would be sold as slaves! And, to make sure that the leaders would not run away, a few of them were immediately arrested and put in chains.

The pasha then sent the others home, warning them that they had better start at once to raise the demanded fifty thousand piasters. The entreaties of the rabbis and leaders that it was impossible for them, and in so short a time, to produce such a vast sum, fell on the deaf ears and stony heart of the cruel pasha, and they left in great despair.

The heads of the Jewish community now realized that they were being punished by G‑d for having refused to find the five thousand piasters asked of them by the emissaries from Jerusalem, to save Jews from being sold as slaves. And now they were being taxed tenfold by the cruel pasha.

The rabbis immediately decreed that the Jewish community must fast and pray to the Almighty for salvation from their desperate situation. At the same time they decided to send a pidyon (literally, “ransom,” but in this case, an appeal) to the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who were buried in the Cave of Machpelah which is situated in Hebron, to pray to the Almighty on their behalf and intercede for their children in their desperate hour of need.

The rabbis first went to the mikvah, and having purified and sanctified themselves, they wrote out their appeal to the Patriarchs on clean parchment, the same as is used for the holy Torah scrolls.

The problem, then, was the matter of the delivery of their appeal. How could it reach the holy Patriarchs? The Cave of Machpelah was then in Arab hands. The Muslims had built a house of worship above the cave, and Jews were not allowed to visit the holy graves. The Jews were allowed only to ascend a few steps of the building and pray at the site of their holy ancestors from a distance. And even for this “privilege” they had to pay the guard.

The only way they could think of was to bribe the guard that he should throw the pidyon into the cave, the entrance of which was sealed, so that even he could not enter it. This, they knew. But they also knew that there was a kind of “window” there, through which it would be possible to throw in the pidyon. For a sizeable bribe the guard agreed to do them this “favor,” and swore “by the beard of his prophet” that he would attend to the matter without delay.

The night before the due date for payment, the pasha could not sleep; his mind was full of the thought of all the money he would be getting from the Jews. The moon was full, and the following day he hoped his coffers would be equally full. The money-greedy pasha kept his treasures in an iron safe in his bedroom. Whenever he had a sleepless night, he would open this safe and take out a bag of gold coins and count them with great satisfaction. This night, too, being unable to fall asleep, he went to his iron safe and took out a large bag of money and began to count the glittering, golden coins. It totaled fifty thousand piasters exactly, and he gleefully thought that the next day he would be receiving exactly the same amount from the Jewish community.

With a happy smile he returned the bag to the safe, put the key of the safe under his pillow, and fell blissfully asleep.

Suddenly, he was startled to see three old men in his room. “Give us the bag with the fifty thousand piasters, if you value your life,” they demanded. In fear and trembling, he got the bag of money and handed it over to them. And, as suddenly as they appeared, they vanished as if into thin air.

The pasha awoke in a cold sweat. What a terrible nightmare! He at once put his hand under his pillow, and was reassured to find the key just where be had left it. So, with a sigh of relief, he went back to sleep.

The following morning the pasha awoke, and completely forgot about his nightmare of the previous night. He did not forget, however, that this was the day when he would be receiving the fifty thousand piasters from the Hebron Jews.

The previous night had also been a sleepless night for all the Jews of Hebron. They had assembled in the beit hamidrash. They prayed with all their hearts that G‑d would save them, as the “hour of reckoning” had come.

Early the following morning the pasha, accompanied by his soldiers, arrived at the beit hamidrash. They began banging on the door, crying: “Open the door for the pasha!”

As the shammash walked with faltering steps towards the door and was about to open it, he gazed with unbelieving eyes at a strange bag which lay in the basin in which the congregants washed their hands on entering the beit hamidrash. He could hardly lift the heavy bag, which he quickly handed to the head of the community. With unbelieving eyes they saw its precious contents.

The shammash rushed back to open the door for the pasha and his soldiers.

“I have come for the fifty thousand piasters which are due today,” the pasha demanded.

“Here is your money,” said the president of the community, handing over the bag to the pasha.

The pasha looked at the bag of money and could hardly believe the evidence of his eyes.

“Why, this is indeed my bag of gold!” he cried out in a shaky voice, his face turning pale. “How did it get to you?” But he did not wait for a reply. He knew the answer from his dream. Slowly, he began: “I will tell you how you got the money. Your holy fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob rose from their graves in the Cave of Machpelah and brought it to you. I saw them in my dream. The Guardian of Israel does not sleep, and I beg you now to forgive me for my evil intentions. Pray for me, and I promise I will never again attempt to do you harm in any way.”

So, as this particular miracle took place on the fourteenth day of Tevet, when the Jews of Hebron were saved from a dreadful catastrophe, they took upon themselves to celebrate every fourteenth day of Teveth as their Purim, which came to be known as “Window Purim” in remembrance of the “window” in the Cave of Machpelah which had brought them the miraculous salvation.

(Note: Now that the Cave of Machpelah has been freed from the Arabs, and Jews can enter the building above the cave, it is possible, still, to see the “window” in the first room, where the tombstones of Isaac and Rebecca are on view. The grated “window” marks the sealed entrance to the Cave, and Jews can now pray there during specific days throughout the year.)

Originally published in Talks and Tales, Published and Copyright byKehot Publication Society, Brooklyn NY 11213

How did the Pasha know what the Avos looked like? How did he know it was them?
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Rabbi EK for Chabad.orgJanuary 14, 2020

in response to Aharon:

It was the Pasha's interpretation of the dream. That is how he decided to interpret it, and it worked in favor of the Yidden of Chevron.
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AnonymousBayside, N.Y.January 1, 2018

Blessed experience
My husband, of blessed memory and I went to Machpelah, it was a most extraordinary experience. As we walked up the steps and ramp, there were Arab soldiers with rifles looking angrily at us.We were able to drop notes down to the graves. Several Orthodox gentlemen were praying, I believe there's someone always in attendance.
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Marilyn FinkelBayside, N.Y.January 18, 2020

in response to Anonymous:

Machpelah Miracle
I carefully read the account of how the celebration of Purim came into being. I’m now convinced that it was bashert, HaShem ordained the entire sequence of events, the place far afield from where casual travelers would likely fall upon. The account I previously gave of my overwhelming experience was also bashert. Trying to chalk it up to a happenstance, doesn’t work for me.We’ve survived as a people despite the tyrannical years of terror. You’ve gotta believe, thankfully I do.Shalom, Marilyn
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Instead of what we have nowA terrible world filled with terrible people

I pray for Hashem to send the MosiachTo cleanse the worldAnd to redeem His PeopleAmen
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Martin AlvarezLas Vegas NVJanuary 5, 2015

Purim Hebron
I think it's miraculous that we can visit and actually see the cave with the tombs in it-beautiful!!! I enjoyed the legend.I mean this is not some long lost forgotten archeaological site but a family burial ground maintained to this very day!
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natanBrooklynJanuary 5, 2015

60 days from purim
Interestingly Purim is also on the 14th day (Adar). This happened exactly 2 months before Purim.
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AriKoreaJanuary 6, 2013

To Lacey Stanley
The pasha was a high rank officer in ottoman army therefore a Muslim Not a Christian Maybe before his converting to Islam he was but as I do know the story of Ottoman Empire I do know he probably was taken as a child from a Christian family and trained to the army was called in those days nizam

The stories have a moral bigger then names or faith of the involved in it My opinion is that are two lessons to learn A -do not turn empty handed a man in need if you can afford help because G-d has put him in your way to test your heart B - even when G-d punishes, His mercy prevail His anger Another lesson can be that even an evil man is under full power of G-d and have a merciful hand extended to the repentance
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Lacey StanleyDecember 27, 2012

To Stephen Weinstein
The story did not say that the new Pasha was Christian it only said that he read of the ways of the christian dealings with Jews.
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Augusto March 8, 2012

ISAAC GRAVE
On october I was in Cave of Machpelah and e It really saddens me to know that CAve of Isaac is not in control of Jews.
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souad elkho abu dhabi, uaeJanuary 23, 2012

Thanks for the valuable information and history about G-d's chosen people
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Allan Labrador MasQuezon City, PhilippinesJanuary 19, 2012

The tomb of the Patriachs should be taken from dir
It really saddens me to hear of holy places where non-believers posses them.

It is my earnest wish and prayers that the sons of Jacob be the keepers of these holy possessions.
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Adele BloomJENNINGS, FL FloridaJanuary 13, 2012

Purim Hebron
What a beautiful Story and I thank you so much for posting it .. I shall share it with my children. I sure hope to come back to Israel and to go to the Cave of Abraham ,Isaac and Jacob's graves.. It has to be a wonderful place..
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Fact, fictionalization, and A.H.N.
That oppression did occur is a historical fact.

The details of how it happened in this particular incident, and especially whether the motivation was hatred (desire to harm) or greed (desire for the money) are not.

Details of this particular incident, not oppression in general, is unproven.

The only problem I see with what AHN wrote is the claim that the article "present[s] Christians as Jew-haters". The story appears to take place after the expulsion from Spain (1492) and before the British took control (less than 100 years ago), and Hebron was not under Christian rule during that time period (the British were the only Christian to rule Hebron after the expulsion from Spain, and there were no British Pashas).

A.H.N. is correct that we should not tell stories about oppression that are not known to be historically accurate, especially when there are so many accurate stories that we could use, but incorrect to portray this story's antagonist (a Pasha) as Christian.
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Brian SSimsbury, CTDecember 18, 2010

The Moon Turns a Fiery Red
Like John in MD I noted the coincidence of lunar eclipse on the winer solstice and looked to see what if any Jewish events may have occurred on the Hebrew day. I believe (not certain) that lunar eclipses occur only when the moon is full. Thus only the nights of and after the 14th of the Hebrew month are potential eclipse nights. There is not one but three coincident events. One: the winter solstice, which occurs without any reference to the lunar cycle. So, that the Winter solstice occurs on a day on which a full moon is seen is a coincidence. That is rare enough. Two: the full mooned solstice is a lunar eclipse! Rarer and rarer. Three: the story of Purim Hebron, and its remembrance on this same day: Rarer and rarer still! (Though the date of the 14th on the Hebrew Cal. for this Purim, would make it a full moon every year. But fourth: I am aware of the previous three! Super "co-incident" synchronicity. Meaning attributed is meaning created.
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AnonymousFebruary 26, 2010

Messiology as Jewish history
A.H.N,

Indeed I couldn't agree with you more. Antisemitism in all its forms must rank as one of the greatest distortions of history, a pitfall that has no place in this world or the world to come.

May I also point to a publication by the American Jewish Committee titled "Wide Horizons", on the work of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Hechel of blessed memory, apostle of ecumenism and truth to whom this generation owes much.
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mikemanchester, ukFebruary 26, 2010

Reply to A.H.N
The oppresion of the Jews by Christians is a historical fact. It seems you would rather edit history.
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Steven CalascioneMaltaDecember 31, 2009

The Cave of Machpelah and Window Purim
What an amazing story, thank you so much for this.
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Ronn BenHaravDecember 31, 2009

The Cave is not exactly liberated...
Jews can currently only pray at the cave of Abraham Isaac and Jacobs graves on specific occasions. Thank God, however, that we do have some access to it. I highly recommend visiting the cave.
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A.H.N.LemesosDecember 31, 2009

"The historic details of this happening are hidden in the mists of the remote past."And that's why it's just a story. It's okay to tell children stories to encourage them in faith, but what is totally unacceptable, is to present Christians as Jew-haters. Still in year 2010.
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